Playground apparatus



May 19, 1925.

' J. COOK I PLAYGROUNDAPPARATUS Filed March 18. 92 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Patented May 19 1925.

UNITED STATES JAY COOK, OF COLDWATER, MICHIGAN.

PLAYGROUND APPARATUS.

Application filed March 18, 1924. Serial No. 700,095.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAY Coon, a citizen ofthe United States, residing atColdwater,

in the county of Branch and State of Michigan, have invented a new anduseful Playground Apparatus of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a frameadapted to be usedon a playground or in a gymnasium, and one object ofthe invention is toprovide novel means whereby the frame may be set upand taken down readily. Another object of the invention is so toconstruct the frame that the same maybe used to support a trapeze or aswing that may be usedlikewise at the will of an operator, to support ateeter board.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means forconnectingthe braces with the standards;

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the inventionappertains.

With the above and other objects in View which will appearas thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangements of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it beingiinderstood that, within the scope ofwhat. is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the inventiontion, parts being broken away; Figure 2 is an elevation wherein thedevice is viewed at right angles to the showing of Figure 1, parts beingbroken away; Figure3 is a top extend across the slots 39 Vertical slots5 are fashioned in thesides 2 inwardly of the slots 3. Horizontal pins 6are mounted in the side sills 2 and extend across the vertical slots 5.Midway between their ends, the sidesills 2 of the base 1 are providedwith seats 7. r The base includes end bars 8. The bars 8 are provided intheir ends with horizontal slits 9. Plates 10 are mounted at their innerends in the slits 9, and are held therein by securing elements 11. Theplates 10 project beyond the ends of the bars 8 as clearly shown Figure5. Flaring notches 12 are fashioned in the edges of the projectingportions of the plates 10. Lateral seats 1% i held in the rectangularform shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. i

The lower ends of the vertical standards 15 rest on the side sills 2 ofthe base 1. The standards are provided at their lower ends withrojections or pins 16 received in the seats 1 of the side sills 2. Thestandards 15 are provided with" lower slots 17, with intermediate slots18 and with upper slots 19 Pins 20 are mounted in the standards 15. andextend across the lower slots 17.

Pins 21 are mounted in the standards 15 and extend across theintermediate slots 18. Pins 22 are mounted in the standards 15 andextend across the upper slots 19.

- Anupper horizontal bar 23 is located between the standards 15 andcarries projecting plates 24 constructed likethe plates 10. Theprojecting portions of the plates 24 have notches 25 like the notches 12of Figure 5. The projecting ends of the plates 24 are adapted to bereceived in the upper slots 19 of the standards 15,'the pins 22 beingreceived in the notches 25, as clearly shown 111 Figure 2. Thus, theupper ends of the standards are connected and secured together;

The upper horizontal bar 23 is reduced 1n diameter intermediate at itsends to form shoulders 26. Rings 27 or like suspension elements aremounted on the intermediate portion of upper horizontal bar 23. Outwardmovement of the rings 27 is limited by the shoulders 26. The rings 27.may be used to support a swing, a trapeze or the like (not shown in thedrawings).

A lower horizontal bar 28 is located between the standards 15. The lowerhorizontal bar 28 is constructed like the upper horizontal bar 23 and isassembled detachably with the standards 15, after the manner of theupper horizontal bar 23, the plates at the ends of the lower horizontalbar 28 being received in the slots 17. It will be understood that thelower horizontal bar 28 may be raised and may be used in connection withthe intermediate slots 18 and the corresponding pins 21. Similarly, thehorizontal bar may be lowered, the plates 24; entering the slots 18, andthe notches 25 co-operating with the pins 21.

Inclined braces 29 are provided, the lower ends 01 the braces 29 beingbeveled to rest on the side sills 2 of the base 1. be lower ends of thebraces 29 have vertical slits 30 receiving the upper ends of the plates31, the plates being held in place by securing elements 32. The lowerends of the plates 31 are received in the vertical slots 5 ol the sidesills 2 and have notches S5 oi the sort hereinbefore described, thenotches receiving the pins 6. Thus, a detachable connection is affordedbetween the lower end of each brace 29 and the corresponding side sill 2of the base 1. The plates 31 are beveled at their upper ends, as shownat 33 so as to abut against the braces 29 at the inner ends oi the slits30. The plates 31 are beveled also as at 34, so as to lie flush with theouter or upper surfaces of the braces 29. The upper ends of the braces29 are beveled as at (31 in Figure l, so as to abut against the oppositevertical surfaces of the standards Slots or openings 37 are tormed inthe standards 15. A hai'iger 38, in the il'orin of a plate, is locatedin each opening 3? and abuts against the standard 15 at the bottom ofthe opening 37 as shown in Figure l. Securing elements 39 are mounted inthe standards 15, and, passing through eacl hanger S8, retain the hangerin place. Upwardly extended notches or seats 10 are fashioned in eachhanger 38 on opposite sides of the corresponding standard 15. Thenotches or seats a0 are constructed like the notch 12 of Figure Thereare slots 41 in the ends of the braces 29. Pins 4-2 are mounted in theupper ends of the braces E39 and extend across the slots 41. iVhcn theupper ends oi the braces are moved downwardly into abutment with thestandards 15. as shown in Figure 4, the pins 1-2 are received in thenotches 40 in a way which will be understood by those skilled in theart. Pins or keepers 43 are mounted in the upper ends of the braces 29and extend across the slots 41, the pins or keepers 13 being locatedabove the pins -12. Latches 4-1- are-mounted to swing in the slots 37 otthe standards 15. The latches -il-lare mounted at their upper ends onpivot clcments -15) carried by the standards 15 and extended across theslots or openings 3?. At the lower ends, the latches at are suppliedwith transverse cam edges as, and outwardly of the cam edges 46, thelatches have shoulders 17. At their outer lower ends, the latches at areequipped with reduced finger pieces 18. hen the latches il: are swunginwardly toward each other, into the position shown in Figure at, thecam edg 16 of the latches,cooperating with the keepers or pins 43, crowdthe braces 29 dowmvard-ly and cause the pins d2 to be engaged lirmly andsecurely with the notches -10 of the hanger 38, the shoulders 47ultimately engaging the keeper 1-3, the linger pieces -18 being held inspaced relation to the outer surfaces 01 the braces 29 so thatthe lingerpieces may be engaged readily to pry the latches 4% out of engagementwith the pins '13, the latches 441 swinging outwardly on their pivotsupports 45.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is soconstructed that it may be set up or taken down readily, the devicebeing useful in supporting a trapeze, a swing or a teeter board, itbeing possible to adjust the teeter board upwardly or downwardly, itbeing possible likewise to adjust the trapeze or swing upwardly ordownwardly.

If desired, the bars of the device may be used to support a teeter board100, shown in Figure 1.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a base ctnn n'isin'g, asconstituent members,

side sills, and end bars, COHUGCtlOIlS uniting the sills and the endbars, cooperating mem bers comprising standards detrurhably crected onthe sills and braces extended between the standards and the sills,connections uniting the lower ends of the braces with the sills, meansfor connecting the upper ends of the braces detachably with thestandards, a horizontal bar extended between the standards, andconnections uniting the horizontal bar with the standards, each of theconnections embodying a projecting plate having a transverse notch inone edge, the member whcrewith the plate coac'ts having a slot for thereception of the plate, and said member having a pin extended across theslot and adapted to be received in the notch 01' the plate.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame comprising a standard, anllltllll'tti brace cooperating with the standard, a hanger mounted onthe standard and having a seat, a project-ion carried by the brace andreceived in the seat, a keeper on the brace, and a latch pivoted to thestandard and engaged with the keeper.

3. A device of the class described coinprising atlra'me, including astandard, a

til)

lit)

b ace cooperating with the standard, a hanger carried by the standardand having a seat, a projection on the brace, and received in the seat,a keeper mounted onthe brace, and a latch pivoted to thesta'ndard, thelatch having a cam edge, a shoulder and a finger piece, the cam edge andthe shoulder being adapted to cooperate with the keeper, and theshoulder coacting With the keeper to space the finger piece from thebrace.

4. In a device of the class described, a frame comprising a standardhaving an opening, a hanger extended through the opening and providedWith seats disposed on opposite sides of the standard, inclined braceson opposite sides of the standard, and provided with projectionsreceived in the seats, the braces having openings for the reception ofthe hanger, keepers carried by the braces, and latches pivot-allymountedin the opening of the standard and operating in the openings ofthe braces, the latches coacting with the keepers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

JAY COOK.

lVitnesses CHARLES F. HOWE, EMELINE SANFORD.

